Nothing to Fear
by FreezePride
Summary: Characters: Even (Vexen), Ienzo (Zexion) Ienzo realizes that the burden of responsibility is far harder to bare than he could have ever imagined. [ Family story ]


Dawn was approaching. Sunlight crested over the green leaves of the trees within the newly re-awakened Radiant Garden, glowing with a vigor which the town had not known for ages, seemingly. It flooded and spread across the grass, the shrubs, the quaint houses and even a few of the remaining ruins until the shadows cast by nightfall were as distant as a memory of a unsettling dream. It ushered in the morning, it awakened the soundly sleeping citizens, it foretold of hope for a new day, but as it traveled distinctly over this new landscape and finally reached the castle grounds, filtering in through the window panes of the infirmary, it cast it's light across a very pale face.

Even did not move.

The light spread and traveled onward, revealing a petite, young academic, a man who could have been no older than twenty years of age, small for his stature, but eyes focused and intent on the pale face before him, almost glaring at the lack of a reaction. With an indignant huff, he flipped a page of the hefty book which was resting on his lap, and locked his eyes on the words as though they would offer some sort of comfort.

Apparently they did not. Ienzo's pale blue eyes flicked from page to the man, then back again. The jittery action seemed almost comforting. Normally, the prodigy would have flown through the book before him, hardly thinking twice before picking up his next. He would have been locked away in the library for ages on end, locking out the world and all of it's pointless distractions, but with his work propped up against the bed of the former lead apprentice of Ansem the Wise.

Even had not moved.

Had it had not been for the soft breathing issuing from his thin frame, his cold form could have been dead at first glance. Lines of sleeplessness were revealed on the face of the prodigy as light gradually began to fill the room, revealing what darkness had so lovingly hidden, but Ienzo didn't seem to notice, or care for that matter. Even was bound to awaken soon, after all. There was no question of this. And it made him so angry in retrospect that the man was expecting him to wait this long.

He remained ever still and quiet. It was entirely unnatural. He had always associated his mentor with motion, the action of pacing in thought, or the gentle sway of his long hair as his eyes traveled across the page of a particularly immersive set of notes, or the jagged motion of his forceful pointing out what another (usually Ienzo) had done wrong before correcting them. To see him incapacitated was not scary, or sad. It was strange and alien. It seemed like a thought that had grown from one of his nightmares, not something which would cause him a great disturbance, but something which instilled uncertainty and dread. It was _not right_.

Even more upsetting was the silence which surrounded him. Even was almost always making noise, whether it be from the experiments which he was attending to in the labs or the endless nagging and droning on and on about this fact, or this theory, or this conclusion. It was absolutely unending, and as much as it annoyed him there was always an iota of unbelievable truth to be garnered from him. Ninety percent of the time, he was filling up the space with white noise. That blessed ten percent which was left was why he was considered the most brilliant mind of his time.

Ienzo was forcefully reminded of a time long ago, when the moon waxed over a far friendlier Radiant Garden, casting silver upon the leaves of the trees and the soft blades of grass. It was when he was seven that he first discovered exactly how unsettling that darkness within the growing shadows could be. Aeleus had been on guard duty, Ansem had not been around (not that he would have expected anything different). He had found Even in the labs. "The darkness wants to eat me." Ienzo had told him, biting back the quiver in his voice and willing himself to make it sound like it was some strange but believably justifiable fact. This was not a simple child's fancy, it was a scientific conclusion. This was not just his imagination, it could not possibly be. Even had looked down at him before slowly lowering his tall form and brushing the slate blue hair from the young apprentice's eyes. Seeing him up close, he noticed how much older than twenty four the lead apprentice looked, but how easily the truth suited his tired voice as he said softly. "There is nothing to fear in the darkness." Lab results, bills, maps for new security systems, scientific errors and corrections, complaints from the townspeople, it overflowed on his desk and cluttered every inch of spare space, but there was a light of hope in those wide, nearly poison green eyes as he looked at the child. "You are the most brilliant mind to enter this world. Your discoveries will someday far surpass mine. This is fact. You have nothing to fear within the darkness. The darkness should be fearing you." That frozen moment, lit by the soft glow of the desk lamp, and measured only by the passing heart beats ended as quick as it had come.

Even had led him back to his bed, scolding him of the 'foolishness of being out of his bed so very late at night' and 'distracting him from his responsibilities'. There was a hint of a smile on his exhausted face as he tucked Ienzo back in, as though their two advanced minds shared a secret no one else could understand.

Even had known from the beginning that Ienzo was special. It had been an endearing quality to be nurtured to him. Yet he had always considered him a child. It was grating on the young prodigy's nerves to think back on even now.

His fingers tightened on the pen within his grasp as he went through the records of what the world had undergone while they were rather 'heartlessly' away. The damage to the castle had to be taken into account, the security system needed extremely in-depth repairs, the restoration committee needed to be contacted (a chore within itself), and all on top of that, the darkness was still on the offensive, trying to re-consume it's former followers.

Ienzo had no time for his usual studies, his mental training, the honing of his illusions. He hardly had time for sleep. Aeleus had seen the familiar signs of exhaustion he had witnessed so very many times within Even now forming on the young man's face, the snappiness of his actions, his far-away distant stares when all seemed just a bit too overwhelming. He now knew the burden of being the lead apprentice, and he no longer envied it.

The part of him which he loathed utterly to admit to, wished that someone would gently brush the hair out of his face and tuck him back into bed. Even still did not move.

In a sudden burst of motion, his mind caught between the beginning of the REM cycle and absolute clarity, he leapt to his feet and raised his fist, as if to strike the older man where he lay. How many bright shining days had it been now? How many dark, cold nights would it continue? How long could Ienzo keep this up by himself? Could he do it for years, as Even did when Master Ansem had been far too 'demanded' to worry for the sake of his apprentices? With a soft, strangled and almost petulant whimper he regretted instantly after it escaped him, he sank on to the bed next to him, placing his hand tentatively on his mentor's thin one, feeling along his slender fingers, knowing the action was as useless as anything else he had done while watching over the other man.

"The darkness wants to eat me." He whispered, a secret between them, his voice barely above a whisper, but this time not hiding the fear he knew was so deeply seeded there. The plea was soft, childish and he did not want to admit to it, but he had seen the darkness now as an adult, he had looked into the depths of it's power and found that he was looking at his own reflection. The terror had been unsurmountable. The darkness had not feared him, it _was_ him. He needed that tired voice, that soft, thin hand, that unquestioning logic.

The moment dragged on. The sun filled the chamber. The pale face did not move. With slow sigh, he made to gather the paper which had fallen to the floor in his sudden anger.

"Nothing to fear." Ienzo's eyes locked on to the scientist. Perhaps it had been the echo of his imagination, the memory from which he had drawn from, but he had heard the words, his voice clear as crystal. The voice was Even's, and the other man's mouth was only just slightly parted, his brow knit as though he had been posed a question which had been asked far too many times before. The frail hand beneath Ienzo's twitched. The prodigy smiled, then recorded the exact day and time. His father would have been proud.


End file.
